Govt cracks down on OTT, blocks 18 platforms for violating content rules

Minister of State for Information and Broadcasting L Murugan informed the Lok Sabha that the government had blocked 18 OTT platforms this year for disseminating pornographic and filthy content.

In response to a query from Anil Desai, a member of the Shiv Sena-UBT, Murugan said the IT Rules of 2021 impose particular due diligence requirements on intermediaries to take reasonable steps on their own to refrain from showing or disseminating pornographic or obscene content.

Additionally, the rules establish a code of ethics for online curated content (OTT) platforms and news and current affairs publishers on digital media.

"The Ministry of Information and Broadcasting has taken action in coordination with various intermediaries and blocked 18 OTT platforms on 14th March 2024 for publishing obscene, vulgar, and, in some instances, pornographic content under these provisions," Murugan said.

Murugan responded to another question by saying that the Code of Ethics for digital news publishers mandates that these publications follow the "Norms of Journalistic Conduct" of the Press Council of India and the Cable Television (Network Regulation Act, 1995) Program Code.

Murugan said the IT Rules, 2021, Part-III, which allows for the issuance of directives for the blocking of content covered by Section 69A of the Information Technology Act, 2000 (IT Act, 2000), apply to publishers of news and current affairs on digital media, including YouTube news channels Bolta Hindustan and National Dastak.

According to Murugan, the rules also give the central government the authority to order any government agency or middleman to block content in the interest of India's sovereignty and integrity, defense, security, friendly relations with other countries, public order, or to stop incitement to commit any crime that is related to these issues.